All Souls Values, Vision, & Goals

Watercolor Ampersand
 

Embracing “&”

All Souls is a people who embraces the “and” of life. We welcome the third element that is created by holding two different values in dynamic relationship. We think that each of these values as well as the third element that comes about from holding pairs of them together are beautiful. In that way we are a people of &.

 

Welcome to the Journey

Mystery & Simplicity

At All Souls we understand following God as a beautiful journey both inwardly and outwardly. On this journey we will encounter MYSTERY and SIMPLICITY. Mystery in that this journey will have twist and turns filled with awe, wonder, faith, and doubt. At any moment we are unable able to fully pin down or control God. And simplicity in that, though the road ahead may be unknown, we will awake every single morning with the clear intent to love God, and love others.

 

Invitation & Intimacy

As we journey through day and night together, Christ has called us to be a community of INVITATION and INTIMACY. Invitation to all along the way, young and old, rich and poor, gay and straight, black, white, and brown. Single, divorced and married, sinners and saints alike sojourning together. And intimacy by knowing and being know personally, sharing in our joys and sorrows, praying for each other, being vulnerable and honest with one another as a circle of friends that know and live a sacred life together.

 

Tradition & Imagination

Along the way our rhythms, practices, and worship will be marked by TRADITION and IMAGINATION. We look to Tradition to root our daily practices in the ancient ways of those who have faithfully gone before us. We use the gift of imagination to be creatively, beautifully and hopefully present to our place, our time and our people, welcoming all into the transformative way of life in Christ.

 

Humility & Courage

We will learn to walk this winding path for the sake of others, serving with HUMILITY and COURAGE. Humility by acknowledging that this is not about us, we don’t have all of the answers but need to listen to the wisdom of others. And courage: We will not be shackled by fear because the spirit of God is with us as we walk with our eyes wide open to the world around. We will risk to sacrificially serve our neighbors, our city, and most importantly standing with those at the margins so that they might be brought to the center.

 

Freedom & Commitment

We will walk each step of this journey in FREEDOM and COMMITMENT. Freedom, that Christ has offered to us through grace to bring our authentic, messy, broken and beautiful stories along the way, living as free people. You will encounter no perfect person here, just God’s beloved. And commitment, we will continually show up to each other and to God, bravely offering our passions, gifts, and our challenges to each other every step of the way.

 

This journey demands our whole-selves, mind and heart, body and soul. Let us stand and take this journey together, following God to the restoration of all things.

Artist painting of a saint
 

Our Vision

We are a people on a journey taking the path that leads to inner depths and outward expansion. 

We take the interior journey, descending into the immense palace of our souls to experience the mystery of God within. Our steps are the ancient rhythms of silence and sacraments, embodying childlike curiosity, and voicing our deepest questions.  

Walking side by side as sacred community in the way of Jesus, we are expanding who we call “us”. We go with one another, opening ourselves to vulnerable relationship; sharing in celebration and grief; Re-imagining new and thoughtful expressions of life together; and bound in unity amidst differences.

Moved by the Spirit we offer our whole selves - beautiful and broken - for the good of this place. We give ourselves by knowing and loving our neighbors, pursuing excellence in our crafts, and thoughtfully sustaining mutual relationship with partners near and far. 

With our one sacred life we take this wonder-filled journey. Join us. All are welcome.

 

Goals

To be an intersection of three things:

Christ

We are regular people who are being transformed, day by day, by the good news and grace of Christ. We strive to create meaningful opportunities to worship the living God and to grow in our relationships with the Divine, not just on Sunday mornings, but as we go throughout our weeks. Our focus on the good news continually reminds us of our deepest need for the way of Christ and the movement of God’s redemptive love for us.

+Guide people on the inward journey to encounter God and discover their identity as beloved.

+Offer ourselves as a place where individuals find healing from spiritual wounds and expand their vision of God  

+Be formed by the revolutionary way of Christ through communal practices and sacred rhythms.

 

Community

 

We believe that holistic transformation happens as we journey together in community. As a people who are in community with God, we desire to build community with each other through meaningful relationships. It is in messy relationships fueled by grace that we can best face life, sharing in each other’s joys and sorrows. We are a community who welcomes everyone; you do not have to believe as we do to belong, and we hope this is a safe place to ask big questions, explore faith, and be authentic about your own spiritual journey.

+Offer authentic relationships and loving community as a balm for the pain of individualism, isolation and loneliness.

+ Nurture the next generation of spiritually centered youth who engage with the complexities of human experience.

+ Be a leader of the new and imaginative experience of spiritual belonging.

 

We love our city. We believe that each of us has an opportunity, in our neighborhoods and in our work, to be part of God’s redemptive and restorative work in the world. We desire to be a community that is sensitive and responsive to people and their spiritual, physical, emotional, intellectual, and relational needs.

+ Humbly engage our city by offering mutual learning experiences that transform lives and shape our practices. 

+ Curate partnerships with local and global organizations who courageously activate sacred community. 

+ Embrace, develop and sustain anti-oppression practices within All Souls and in Boulder county.

City

 
 
 

We consider ourselves part of the historic, worldwide family of God—the Church. Denominationally, All Souls is part of the City Classis of the Reformed Church in America, a historic denomination in the Reformed family of the Christian Church. Founded in 1628 in New Amsterdam (today’s New York City), it is the oldest Protestant denomination in the USA, and is characterized by both deep roots in historic, Reformed Christian faith, and an ongoing commitment to the mission of Christ in the world.

All Souls is a fully inclusive church for the LGBTQ community.